Topline
There are 33 perfect women’s brackets remaining heading into the Sweet 16, according to the NCAA perfect bracket tracker—an unusually high number remaining out of the estimated 5 million that were filled out across online gaming sites.
Vanessa de Jesus #2 of the Duke Blue Devils brings the ball up court against the Oregon Ducks during … More a second round game of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina.
Key Facts
Thirty-three people perfectly predicted the first 48 games of the women’s tournament, a jump from last year, when just four perfect brackets made it out of the first two rounds of games.
Going into this week’s games, there were 141 perfect brackets remaining, but more than 100 have fallen since games began Monday, with many busting when No. 3 Oklahoma beat No. 6 Iowa and when No. 4 Maryland defeated No. 5 Alabama.
In comparison, there have been zero perfect brackets in the men’s tournament since game 43 on Sunday, when No. 3 Kentucky beat No. 6 Illinois and busted the final perfect bracket.
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What Is The Prize For A Perfect Bracket?
The NCAA’s bracket challenge sweepstakes offers a four-night trip to the 2026 Final Four and championship games for the winner and a guest, along with a $1,300 one-time payment. ESPN also hosts a challenge in which bracket-makers can win cash prizes for correctly picking the national champion or creating bracket groups. USA Today Sports is also offering $1 million to anyone who filled out a perfect bracket and $25,000 to the best bracket. (See here for other men’s and women’s March Madness bracket rewards).
Big Number
About 2,500. That’s how many perfect brackets remained in the women’s tournament after the first round of games, the NCAA said.
What To Watch For
When the final bracket is eliminated. Last year, the last perfect bracket was busted in the 51st game of the tournament, according to the NCAA, meaning no perfect brackets made it out of the Sweet 16.
When Does The Women’s Sweet 16 Start?
The first game in the women’s Sweet 16 begins at 2:30 p.m. EDT and will see No. 2 Duke face off against No. 3 North Carolina. Games will continue Friday night into Saturday. Other Sweet 16 games this weekend include: Maryland and South Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, Notre Dame and TCU, Oklahoma and UConn, Southern California and Kansas State, NC State and LSU and UCLA and Ole Miss.
What Are The Odds Of Getting A Perfect Bracket?
The odds of a perfect bracket—if one were to use a 50-50 coin flip to determine the picks—are one in 9.22 quintillion. But, if someone has knowledge of the games and teams, the odds could be as low as 1 in 28 billion, according to the NCAA.
Surprising Fact
Prior to 2019, the NCAA wasn’t aware of a bracket being perfect through the first 48 games of the men’s tournament. But Gregg Nigl, a neuropsychologist from Ohio, correctly predicted the first 49 games of the tournament that year, becoming “the first verified bracket ever to pick through to the Sweet 16 correctly.”
Further Reading
NCAA March Madness: Just 2 Brackets Remain Perfect—Out Of 34 Million Submitted (Forbes)
Track how many perfect NCAA brackets are left in 2025 March Madness (NCAA)